1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the installation of window air conditioners generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to novel mounting bracket and method for supporting such air conditioners which are simple, and which bracket can be installed entirely from inside a building and can be folded essentially flat for convenient storage.
2. Background Art
Window air conditioners are widely used for cooling selected portions of buildings. A problem with mounting and supporting such air conditioners is that windows, window sills, storm window/screen frames, and building walls are furnished in a myriad of sizes and configurations. Because of this, window air conditioners are frequently sold with instructions to provide an external support, but no support is furnished with the air conditioner. It is left to the installer to fashion some type of suitable support and, often, the installation of the support requires working on the exterior of a building from a ladder or elevated surface. Sometimes, fasteners must be inserted into the exterior surface of the building wall, thus creating a possible site for water leakage and/or decay.
In cases where some type of support is supplied with the air conditioners, the supports often require attachment to the exterior surface of the building wall. A further disadvantage of such supports is that they fail to adequately isolate, from the building structure, vibrations caused by operation of the air conditioners.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide bracket and method for supporting window air conditioners that are simple and that can be utilized to mount such air conditioners in a wide range of configurations and sizes of windows, window sills, storm window/screen frames, and building walls.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a mounting bracket that is economical to construct.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide such a mounting bracket that can be conveniently stored.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a bracket that does not require the insertion of fasteners into the exterior surface of a building wall.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide such a mounting bracket that provides adequate vibration isolation.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.